Cotton-picker.



E S. JONES.

COTTON PIGKER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1912.

1,991,144; i Patented Mar.24,191

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD S. JONES, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA.

COTTON-PICKER.

7 Specification of Letters Patent. 1

Patented Mar. 2 1, 1914.

Application filed July 11, 1912. Serial No. 708,751.

. apparatus, and has for its object to provide a loosening means for dislodging cotton from the bolls to be taken up by a suction device,

I am familiar with such devices as that .shown in the patent to Nisbet, No. 812,865,

February 20, 1906, and it is mypurpose to improve the detaching means there shown, so that liability of damage to the cotton will be minimized, and the construction of the nozzle and detacher simplified,

'Itis one of the principal objects in the art to obtain cotton fibers of maximum length, and it is sought herein to provide means to dislodge the cotton withoutbreaking or cutting the fibers.

Otherobjects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which- I Figure 1 is a side view of amachine equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail of the detacher and. nozzle. Fig. 3

. is an end view of the nozzle.

There is illustrated a wheeled truck 10, which it is understood may be drawnv by horses or may take the form of a tractor if preferable the wheels being preferably ofdesirable number of intakes, and from each there extends an enlarged flexible tube 14 of suitable material, each having at its outer end the flared or bell-shaped nozzle 15 through which cotton may be sucked When presented to a cotton boll in sufiicient proximity, under operation. A suitable set of suction pumps 16 are provided for creating a proper suction draft through the tubes 1-1 by any customary method. The pumps are operated by the motor 17 with which suitwithin the nozzle.

able connections are made for driving the flexible shafts 18 carried in special flexible tubes 19 secured to the tubes 11 respectively. I provide in each nozzle one or more highly polished "solid steel heaters or dctachors 20. comprising heads heart shaped in form and having shouldered stems 21 connected to a suitabletcrminal block 22 at the outer end of the respective flexible shafts. The shaft connections are engaged through the sides of the nozzles at their narrow parts, in a suitable way, the method in the present embodiment; being to form a suitable-bearing boss atone side of the nozzle through which extends a proper bore parallel to the axis ofthc nozzle, ores tending diagonally thereto, as nr'aybcgfouird most advisable, and enlarged at its inner part in which bore there is revolubly mounted the terminal shaft block 22, to which the flexible shaft 18 is secrrr'cd avithout the nozzle, and the beater stems 2l' attenuatcd close to their junction with the head and connected for projection The heads are given considerable thickness in their central portions to give them weight, and they may therefore be termed weighted boaters. The beaters do not necessarily operate entirely within the nozzle, however, but may extend some dis-' tanceoutwardly thereof, and when the shaft 18 is rapidly rotated the heaters vibrate or oscillate over a considerable space and any cotton dislodged from bolls immediately without the nozzle will be drawn thereinto, with proper suction apparatus. The scope of operation of the device is therefore greatly enlarged,

At the forward side of the truck there is provided a large platform 23 upon which a are provided the bracket standards 24, in which the hose may be rested or the nozzles hung, if'desired, either during use, or when out of operation. The operators may stand upon this platform While the machine is moved forward, while they present the nozzles toward the cotton plants and thus gather the crop.

number of persons may be accommodated,, and at convenient points on. its edges there intervening very much attenuated portion, whereby the member is free to oscillate to some extent, which may be found of advantage where a rigid device might not. -However, the construction may be made of rigid form if found desirable.

. I t is important to note that as shown the scope of action of the beater extends over the throat of the nozzle and at times may extend beyond the axis of the nozzle, so that V cotton engaged and dislodged is well within the draft of thesuction device, and the rapidity of harvesting will be much greater than if the beater is spaced considerably Without the axis of the nozzle. Because of the flexibility of the beater stem, the device is caused to act with greater force on cotton most firmly held in the bolls than on easily loosened stock. This is so for the reason that when the beater meets with resistance its stem is flexed and it moves in a wider circle, consequentlythe rate of rotation being undiminishcddelivering successive blows of greater force than before ilexure.

What is claimed is:

l. A cotton picking device including a suction nozzle having a flared opening and provided on the outside adjacent its base with an extension projecting from the side a terminal member revoluble within the nozzle, operative means for the shaft, a heartshaped beater head and an attenuated con- 1 meeting portion between the head and the terminal member, whereby the beater is adapted for rotation of the headin a circle extending beyond the axis of the nozzle at times, and to deliver blows of increased force under (lexure of the connecting portions.

In testimony whereof I have'hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EDWARD S. J ONES. Witnesses:

STELLA BLACK, D. W. CAMP. 

